"No," said Mrs. Avory.
"Very unfortunate," he muttered, "and very unsystematic. However, we must hope for the best;" and so saying he led the way toward the yard, with his meek little sons, who had said not a word, but appeared to wish themselves well out of the affair, behind him.
Kink had already unharnessed Moses, and the Slowcoach stood at rest. Mr. Amory first went to examine a place on the wheel where a gate-post had removed some of the paint, and he then put a foot on the step; but Diogenes sprang up and growled so seriously that he withdrew.
"Please remove the dog," he said.
While this was being done, and the father and his two sons were inside, Janet explained the situation to the others. They refused at first to believe it.
"Do you mean to say," Robert exclaimed, "that the Slowcoach isn't ours at all?"
"Yes," said Janet.
"It belongs to those measly pip-squeaks?" said Robert.
"Yes," said Janet.
Robert held his head in a kind of stupor.